37 years of caring for her patients

A CAREER of 37 years in nursing ended on Friday amid glowing tributes to Kathleen Stewart, who has nursed locally for 37 years, latterly at Montrose Health Centre.

Kathleen was brought up in Laurencekirk and has kept a good Doric tongue in her head.

She began RGN training at the start of 1972 at Stracathro Hospital, qualifying in March, 1975.

She and her husband, Murray, were married the same year and they have two children: Gavin and Catriona, as well as four grandchildren, two living in Montrose and two in Singapore.

Kathleen has worked in all areas of Stracathro Hospital, with experience in orthopaedics and surgical; however, she enjoyed A&E best and worked there for many years until its closure in 2003.

She transferred to the minor injuries unit and outpatients, initially at Montrose Infirmary, then mainly to the minor injuries/illness unit at Montrose Health Centre when it opened.

A colleague revealed that in her retirement Kathleen plans to take holidays, work in her garden, walk, cycle and spend time with her grandchildren and family.

Our source continued: “She will enjoy a wine, pleasing herself, long lies, lunches out and days away with her newly-acquired bus pass!

“She will be very greatly missed by all her friends and colleagues.”

During Kathleen’s often hilarious farewell party charge nurse Peter Croll said her colleagues had expressed disbelief when she said she was going to retire, adding that she did not regard her days as just work - she really cared about her patients.

He presented her with vouchers on behalf of the Trust, and she also received a bouquet of flowers from friends and colleagues.

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